Was Osama Bin Laden My Neighbour?
Very interesting article by Dawud Wharnsby, a Canadian born singer songwriter, who moved to Abbottabad in Pakistan to be close to his wife’s grandparents. On Monday May 2, 2011 he found that this quiet town was suddenly the centre of an international incident.
An excerpt:
t might be worthwhile also noting my thoughts on the local people’s reactions to the news the US has just released, and to the celebratory reactions of some Americans in large cities like New York and Washington.
People here - my neighbours - are scared of vigilante “reactions” to the news.
Parents are worried that schools and public places may become unsafe if impassioned individuals “react” to the “celebrations” they see on TV from parts of the USA. People are also sombre, not because there was public support for OBL or what he or others ideologically aligned with him might think - but because, generally speaking this news - good/bad/however you choose to take it - does not really change the lives of poor people here. 20 years ago people here were poor… now, after all that’s happened in the world - the poverty has only increased for the majority of Pakistanis.
I have been asked, “Are local Pakistani people angry with American’s for dancing over the death of OBL?” Firstly, that would suggest that most Pakistani people actually thought highly of him or supported him, and secondly, it would also assume that Pakistani people are so absorbed with US culture that they are just sitting by their TV sets waiting to see how American citizens do things.
So to set the record straight - the citizens of Pakistan that I interact with day in and day out do not support fundamentalist approaches to religion or politics and do not consider OBL a “leader”. I’m a Canadian born musician with very liberal political, social and religious views - yet my opinions, music and lifestyle are embraced more warmly by Muslims here in Northern Pakistan than by most Muslim communities in Canada, the USA or England!
Secondly, the people here in the region of Pakistan where I live tend to be very sombre, majestic and dignified. They are not constantly taking cues for their lives from other nations and cultures. If Americans want to dance - Pakistanis won’t get in their way. Pakistani’s love to dance! Here in the villages - weddings are great fun - full of dance and song…. but death? It makes people sombre and introspective, bringing out their humility before God and in respect of justice.